Dawson County Chamber of Commerce President Christie Haynes and Peter Hill, board chairman, unveiled the group’s new logo last Thursday during its monthly business luncheon at the Lakeview Center.

Officials with the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce hope a new logo unveiled last week will change the perception of the business organization.

"The chamber really turned a corner last year, not just in that we hired a new director, but also that we have a new staff that's come on," said Peter Hill, board chairman. "With the transition and renovation, it's a perfect opportunity to rebrand and put a new face with the organization."

Hill and Chamber President Christie Haynes unveiled the logo, which features mountains and an element of water with the group's name between them, during the chamber's membership luncheon March 14.

The mountains and lake mimic the longstanding notion of Dawson County being "where the mountains meet the lake."

Missing from the new logo, however, is the county's signature Scotty dog, a design used for several years that was inspired by Dawson's unique shape.

"We are looking to create a brand and logo that fits our businesses and community," Haynes said. "We believe that unveiling our new logo is the first step in the process of creating the chamber's new brand."

Identifying a separation between the chamber, which focuses on promoting local business, and the convention and business bureau, which is designed to attract tourism to the area, was also a vital element in the process, according to Haynes.

"We are really working toward formalizing tourism in Dawson County. Tourism has a lot greater impact than a lot of people realize," she said, adding that tourism accounts for about $100,000 in local revenue daily and supports 410 jobs.

"That's a pretty big deal. You don't see that very frequently in communities like ours."

At Haynes' suggestion, the chamber board of directors voted last week to rename the convention and visitors bureau as the office of tourism development.

The move, she said, more accurately identifies the department's goal to draw tourism, rather than conventions, which the county cannot adequately accommodate due to limited lodging.

The next step in the rebranding process is a new Web site for both the chamber and office of tourism, likely within the next few months.